History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy eBook

The Emperor Rodolph, instead of coming into Italy,
gave the empire the advantage of having done so, by
sending an ambassador, with authority to make all
those cities free which would redeem themselves with
money. Many purchased their freedom, and with
liberty changed their mode of living. Adolpho
of Saxony succeeded to the empire; and to the papacy,
Pietro del Murrone, who took the name of Celestino;
but, being a hermit and full of sanctity, after six
months renounced the pontificate, and Boniface VIII.
was elected.

After a time the French and Germans left Italy, and
the country remained wholly in the hands of the Italians;
but Providence ordained that the pope, when these
enemies were withdrawn, should neither establish nor
enjoy his authority, and raised two very powerful families
in Rome, the Colonnesi and the Orsini, who with their
arms, and the proximity of their abode, kept the pontificate
weak. Boniface then determined to destroy the
Colonnesi, and, besides excommunicating, endeavored
to direct the weapons of the church against them.
This, although it did them some injury, proved more
disastrous to the pope; for those arms which from
attachment to the faith performed valiantly against
its enemies, as soon as they were directed against
Christians for private ambition, ceased to do the
will of those who wished to wield them. And thus
the too eager desire to gratify themselves, caused
the pontiffs by degrees to lose their military power.
Besides what is just related, the pope deprived two
cardinals of the Colonnesi family of their office;
and Sciarra, the head of the house, escaping unknown,
was taken by corsairs of Catalonia and put to the
oar; but being afterward recognized at Marseilles,
he was sent to Philip, king of France, who had been
excommunicated and deprived of the kingdom. Philip,
considering that in a war against the pontiff he would
either be a loser or run great hazards, had recourse
to deception, and simulating a wish to come to terms,
secretly sent Sciarra into Italy, who, having arrived
at Anagnia, where his holiness then resided, assembled
a few friends, and in the night took him prisoner.
And although the people of Anagnia set him at liberty
shortly after, yet from grief at the injury he died
mad. Boniface was founder of the jubilee in 1300,
and fixed that it should be celebrated at each revolution
of one hundred years. In those times various
troubles arose between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions;
and the emperors having abandoned Italy, many places
became free, and many were occupied by tyrants.
Pope Benedict restored the scarlet hat to the cardinals
of the Colonnesi family, and reblessed Philip, king
of France. He was succeeded by Clement V., who,
being a Frenchman, removed the papal court to Avignon
in 1305.